If the ring fits
by MeLaNch0LYdreams
Summary: "Wait...I have to take his virginity and you're okay with this?" he backtracked,She glanced at him with distant jade orbs. "It's what needs to be done. And he chose you"Think about it this way-this just over a ring. Eventual M
1. Chapter 1

A/N: i don't own XXXHoLiC...just this fic. I also saw the clip this happen but I don't watch the anime so I made it up as I went along. Comment if you know what really happened in this scene :S This will be short 3 shot. Hopefully.

**If the ring fits**

The blue eyed seer looked forlornly at the jewelry in the shop window. His one brass colored eye reflecting a simple gold band. "They left rings when they died you know." Shizuka didn't need to ask who 'they' were. The seer lowered his eyes shyly with an ashamed smile. " I had to sell them to pay for the groceries and rent. Yuuko would charge too much to get it back." he whispered as the color drained from his face. The silent archer observed him as Watanuki leaned his forehead down onto the glass and stared in awe at the strings of pearls,and endless shelves of diamonds and precious gemstones made into articulate accessories. "So this is what girls like..." the brass eyed archer watched as Watanuki fell into a slight daze with the most serene expressions on his face. He didn't want to interrupt them, but at the same time good things come to end eventually. "This is what mother liked-"

" I'm not going to ask what your hobbies are, you are what you are." he turned around and plugged his ears to avoid literary onslaught. "My hobbies are no concern of yours-wait no, I worded that wrong!...I was just making an observation you fool! Besides, only girls like jewelry! Like Himawari-chan! Himawari-chan _would _look good in that..." Within a matter of seconds the problem was resolved and the once dazed seer was now swooning and in a daze once more over an emerald and white gold necklace that the seer was enquiring would look '_ravishing_' on her. Doumeki looked ahead of him and at a set of twin bands the color of his own brass eyes with blue diamonds placed meticulously in a circle around the outside of the ring. What was left of Doumeki's quickly disappearing college fund spent on recovering his recent health due to a certain seer began to jump of his wallet later that night.

----

"What did they look like?" Watanuki looked quizzically at the seated Doumeki looking at home reading an old newspaper from a week ago, asking without lifting his eyes from the print. He put down his wooden spoon and stared at him in confusion. "Huh?" he muttered intelligently as his dinner companion graced him with his eyes. "The wedding rings?" there was a silence as the seer scrunched up his face adorably in thought, scratching his head as he tried desperately to remember his mother and her delicate hands. His memory came up blank for a moment before an image exploded in his mind. The sweetest smile, lips perched to hide a stifled laugh, a slim intricate gold band with one tiny centered emerald. As soon as it came, it left. He turned around and hid his wobbly smile, eyes watery and reflective like glass. "Why do you want to know anyways?!" he answered indifferently, a hitch in is voice as he wrung his hands in annoyance. His only reply was silence. "Understood." The rest of that evening was spent in quite.

-----

Takashi Hinata, owner of the quaint jewelery store searched her deep pockets for the master key. It was a slow day, two boys had stopped to window shop and look at some new arrivals but got into an argument and left. She kept her hopes up to find customers but at the rate her goods were purchased at, she would not be able to pay the rent for the store and be forced to relocate or better yet, quit selling tacky jewelry. She was interrupted by a hand slamming down by her face and an incredibly tall highschooler clearing 6 foot 3 leaned over her. She froze in fear, praying that she could keep her virginity at the age of 35 by the end of tonight. "I would like to make a purchase." He said huskily with the hint of a slight pant like he had been running for quite some time. She trembled in fear and stammered words like 'O-ok' and pushed the glass doors happen, unsure whether to feel happy or scared by this suspicious customer.

------

Doumeki had seen it in his right eye. The sweet smile, and the beautiful ring. The meal was tense but he found his eyes darting towards the creep cuckoo bird clock trying anxiously to remember what the hours of operation for the jewelry store was. Tomorrow was going to be an archery tournament, if he didn't spend the money now, he would have spent it pigging out on food at the inter-school competition mainly because all he could keep on his mind was that ring and how..._compelled _he was to get it.

As well as the fact that he was wrapped up in his thoughts that he forgot to make an unreasonable request for a bento. His parents were overseas. He was broke.

And how _badly _he wanted that ring!

_-------_

Shizuka had forgotten the twin bands from before. His eyes now locked and breathless at the elegant bands on display in the back of the store. 'Hinata' as her nameplate read giggled behind him, eyes crinkling up fondly at his awestruck expression at the two identical rings that he had seen in his right eye._ " _I got these _several _years ago. They were really such a beauty though! For some reason my customers get this feeling and it's been here for over _ten years_! I'm willing to sell this at any price at this rate! OH me! Sorry for boring you, was there anything you wanted?" Hinata snapped out her stupor and widened her green eyes in embarrassment. He blinked and just darted his eyes toward the rings and she smiled with widened eyes in delight. She took his hand and slipped the band easily over the ring finger of his left hand. He blinked again in confusion at the weight of the accessory on his finger. Feelings came over him overwhelmingly. He touched his face and was hit like a tonne of bricks at the brilliant smile of a seven year old Watanuki, lovely and warming to the heart. "A perfect fit!" she remarked in awe and gave him a cheeky smile. If Doumeki Shizuka had a plan before, he was definitely scheming now.

---------

It was 11 at night and he yawned in exhaustion. Debating whether he should check his calculus homework or make lunch. There was need to, Doumeki had helped him with it, and for maybe the first of a few times he made no comment or demands about food for the next day. He knew there was going to be a tournament. All day in fact. He absolutely needed to eat. Instead though, he said nothing and seemed to be waiting impatiently for something to happen. And Watanuki Kimihiro hadn't taken the initiative for anything since the day he was born. So imagine his shock when he heard a loud thumping noise at his front door and wrenching it open to find a panting Douemki Shizuka on his knees with a ring box clenched in his fist. And that look. That scary determined look on his face as he stared up at Watanuki. All Watanuki could do stare at was at that blue velvet box in disbelief.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: i don't own XXXHoLiC...just this fic. I also saw the clip this happen but I don't watch the anime so I made it up as I went along. Comment if you know what really happened in this scene :S This will be short 3 shot. Hopefully. And to add on to this-WOAH MAMA. I've never gotten this many emails and alerts before for something I posted almost half a day ago! 0.o Thank you guys for the alerts and reviews! I wasn't planning to update for a week seeing as I was supposed to have band practice today -_- unfortunately her dad didn't know that and my friend and I don't have much in common so I was pretty much writing this as we did absolutely nothing. Thank you anyways! And as for the slap scene, you have Kuroshitsuji to blame for that. Familiar anybody? And the song belongs to me and is mine :p

**If the ring fits**

All Watanuki could do stare at was at that blue velvet box in disbelief and the sight of a panting Doumeki on his knees and the determined look on his face.

And the ring. His father's wedding ring worn on Doumeki's left hand on that godforsaken finger.

Rage,confusion, and affection welled up in the seer. He was torn between brutally assaulting the archer and bear hugging him then, arms,legs,tingling for contact. Watanuki's eyes darkened with inward turmoil raging like a snow storm behind his eyes. As Doumeki lifted his brass tinted eyes, gleaming with determination. He made his decision. Eyed darkening with inward turmoil as the archer stood up slowly, eyes never leaving his.

The archer was greeted with a harsh slap in the face. The box almost slipping through his fingers before his nails clawed for it desperately stumbling back in mute shock. The seer eye's were clouded-and furious. His fiery blue eyes looked at him icily, trailing downwards to his left hand which clutched the ring box and the wedding ring shone in all it's golden glory, almost as if taunting Watanuki cruelly. Shizuka felt himself pale as he looked down following the spirit magnet's eyes to the wedding ring. He had forgotten to take it off when Hinata had fitted it on him at the store. "I can explain-"

"Explain what?" his authoritive voice asked, all tiredness and exhaustian no longer apparent on his worn alabaster face, now pink with anger. "Explain what? How you want to mess with my life and shove it in my face? And have the nerve-" he took his taller friend's wrist and glared madly at his ring. "To wear my father's **_wedding _**ring? What do you want from me?" his authoritative facade began to crack at the word wedding, each word growing sadder,and more broken with each syllable. Guiltily the archer watched as his friend did something worse than burst into tears. He withheld them."I _**hate **_you! I wish I had never **_met _**you!" with that heart breaking proclamation, the box was torn from his hand and the door was shut, locked, and dead-bolted in his face. His expression wore so many emotions that it appeared as if there weren't any. The archer, protector ,studious, responsible, and capable Doumeki knew the importance and meaning behind words. His ears went deaf,his throat as dry as sawdust, and blinded by a film in his eyes that grew hotter and hotter with each ragged breath. He started to walk away with no destination until he quickened his pace, a strangled sound ripped through his throat like a dying moose. All he wanted was to see that radiant smile but was given the opposite. Yes that's right.

Doumeki Shizuka was _crying_**. **And his face hurt like** _hell. _  
**

---------

The sweet musky scent perfumed the air and multiplied in the form of lavender clouds. The witch stared unseeingly with numb burgundy eyes towards some paperwork. She stared at the clumps of paper before sighing and pushing off the lounge chair as she proceeded to run her expensive pen easily along each sheet of thick yellowed paper with forged signatures, with the legible but illegible penmanship that looked very much like Shizuka's usual scrawl, or what she often saw of it. Unfortunately,contrary to popular belief, everyone she met assumed she was the invincible, almighty Yuuko Ichihara, The witch of many names. That Yuuko was, but she was human. She couldn't read minds and got many of her tasks done for her through favors and bartering. So she used her already limited knowledge of Doumeki to direct him to his already pre-determined fate. After all, with enough convincing anybody could appear like a fortune teller by asking very general questions and letting the rest flow out through your client like lava from a volcanoe. However, that didn't mean that psychics did not exist. Or what would her dear old friend be? She did have a gift, and so did Yuuko.

With enough common sense, which Doumeki had, he went to Yuuko after he bought the rings, looking very awkward. Something was not right, and she could tell by the ring fixated onto his wedding finger. She simply smirked at him, and any adult who was old enough to go into business that by the faintly embarrassed look on his face, and age of the papers that he was caught in a very old predicament. Before he even spoke she began to explain. "Pass it over here. The paperwork is old from more than years ago, and because of where the rings were _originally _sold, you are bring accused of theft because the business is falling out and not recognized by your bank and therefore you need my help. Oh- and this is for Watanuki." she looked up and wore the all knowing smile. She was completely bullshitting from her mouth something she read in a book, but the archer simply nodded like she had known from before. Yuuko really irked herself sometimes at her accuracy and wondered when the day would come where she was caught in a lie.

------------

The only light illuminating his apartment was the full moon outside. The spirit magnet had his arms tucked under his knees, which were pulled to his chest on the usually blueberry colored couch, now darkened to a near black in the dark. His azzurro campanula colored eyes simply stared at the ring box that the bastard had planned to give him. He had been so caught up in his anger of Doumeki wearing that ring that he hadn't given him the benefit of explaining how he had gotten them in the first place and why he was wearing it. It could have been a coincidence, but all the same it made him hate himself as he replayed that intense moment back in his head.

_The archer was greeted with a harsh slap in the face. _

_"Explain what?How you want to mess with my life and shove it in my face? And have the nerve_-_"_

_"To wear my father's **wedding **ring? What do you want from me?" _

He had to close his eyes in pain at his last words. He had probably lost his only real friend besides Himawari and thought of how horrible his accusations were, and how the temple brat had just taken it. Suddenly it all clicked into place. The sarcasm and question of the description of the rings, and the vision had added up. All Doumeki had wanted to do was help, and his way of thanking him was a slap in the face and a declaration of hate. He had probably spent a lot of money getting them back from wherever he had found them.

_"I **hate **you! I wish I had never **met **you!"_

He screwed his eyes shut tighter and covered his ears chanting the words 'shut up' like a mantra. As if the two words alone could ward off the guilt of what he had done. He rocked back and forth on the rough indigo couch with very small, almost non-existent tears springing to his eyes at the loss of his friend. When a particular image of Doumeki looking like someone had kicked his puppy worked its way into his head he crushed his temples in his two feeble hands. "**SHUT UP**!" his voice cried, his vocals and ears ringing from the shrill offending sound. The tears gained size in viscosity as he stared at the ring box. What _had _Doumeki wanted?

He convinced himself that he wasn't a girl, but a loving son as he reached for the box, sadness leaving him as he lifted the lid and smiled too widely. It was the ring from his memory, even prettier in reality and one hundred times more beautiful a memento of his parents then the rotten second sight he had been left with. His breath caught as he stroked the emerald gem, electricity gathering in his finger as he pressed it between his hands, white in comparison to the shimmering gold band, almost as thin as a fork. He stroked the ring for a few comforting moments and breathed in shakily as he slipped it onto his ring finger of his left hand. It was a snug ft, as if it was meant to fit on his finger in the prime of his youth. Watanuki blushed at this realization and lifted himself to take the ring off until he went starstruck at the sight flashing behind his eyelids.

His father was covering his right eye and wore a gentle smile, the wedding band thicker than his mother's like and the exact one that Doumeki had worn. His eyes were like the color of ember, tousled hair the same shade of his eyes. The image dissipated and was replaced by an even more shocking revelation. It gave the perspective of being under Doumeki as the male looked down, looking lost as his brass eyes flooded with tears. He was gritting his teeth and looked so confused, and lost, and so darn _sad_.

He gripped his ring, and it materialized so quickly that he had to take a moment to gather the image of the two men replaying in his head. His father looked nothing like him, he had thought dryly. He had even more painful images of Doumeki to conjure up now. Even if he could follow Doumeki and find him lo and behold crying, what could he do? He was too tired to deal with this. He absently tried to pry the ring off his finger and was faced with another problem.

The ring wouldn't budge.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: i don't own XXXHoLiC...just this fic. I also saw the clip this happen but I don't watch the anime so I made it up as I went along. Comment if you know what really happened in this scene :S This will be short 3 shot. Hopefully. And to add on to this-WOAH MAMA. I've never gotten this many emails and alerts before for something I posted almost half a day ago! 0.o Thank you guys for the alerts and reviews!My parents came back! YAYYY! I'm supposed to be cleaning my room, but look where it got me? And the song belongs to me and is mine :p

**If the ring fits**

"_This world will hold many mysteries...But no matter how strange,how bizarre an incident may seem, if people are not present, if people do not witness it, if people are not involved, then it is nothing more than a phenomenon, an affair that will simply pass."_

_"People...People...People.." _smoke billowed across her breakfast as she breathed in the magic tonic. She let her voice wash across the empty room with a drowsy thrush.

"_People themselves are __the __ profoundly most mysterious beings in this world.(1)"_Her worker gave her a questionable look as he set down the pancakes in front of her. She grinned up at him with mature humour.

"Watanuki-kun...I can see the ring."she covered her mouth with her cradled hands, hiding a gleeful grin. At this, her employer;s expression morphed into complete shock as he reddened in embarrassment, covering the beautiful ring from sight.

"This..This.." he sputtered indignantly, failing to explain himself as he continuously chanted 'this.' Unable to form any other words in his predicament. The witch's smile widened as she remembered Doumeki's appearance at the shop. She dipped low and picked up a stack of paperwork.

"By the way, drop this off." Watanuki paused in his chanting to look at her confused. "Huh?" he took if off of her hands, curiously reading the fine print off the yellowed paper, unable to read the faded words with his lack of sight. He didn't have time to begin comprehending it as she read it for him. "It's bailment from Doumeki. He took the best deal he could get." he could'nt register what she was saying as she sighed and leaned forward. "A bailment is a legal relationship in common law where physical possession of personal property (chattels) is transferred from one person (the 'bailor') to another person (the 'bailee') who subsequently holds possession of the property. In other words, Doumeki purchased those rings by bailment on a few extra conditions. When you were asked to give the rings away, you were a minor, so the person who supposedly owns the rings was the jeweler." at this point n the explanation, Watanuki still had no idea how this had to do with him.

"What does this have to do with me? Are you saying that this is temporary?" he looked anxiously at the ring fastened to his wedding finger, to stubborn to be removed. She looked up looking very much like the witch she was named for. "I was getting to that point my dear-the conditions are that whomever wears them is to get married legally, and the rings will transfer to their owners permanently. However-" his face drained of his blood-pressure induced face.

"The owners have to STAY married to forever keep the rings and fortune that comes with it." Watanuki grew light-headed, remembering Doumeki wearing the other ring. He badly wanted to slide down on his knees, but he had some delicate stuff in his hands. He looked down at her with clouded navy eyes. The witch wished she would not have to say this part as she frowned deeply into her hands. "Since your a minor, I am required by law to keep your inheritance as your guardian until your of age. That paperwork your carrying is the marriage documents and bailment paperwork. It was omitted from your parents, so don't even think of doing anything to it. But I doubt you can anyway " she said, lifting her hands up to reveal a coy smile.

He opened his mouth to retort, and couldn't find a defense to put to that. It was true, even if his parents were dead, he would never do anything to disrespect them in death. He only had one thing to say to her before eh left for school. " Where is the office?" he asked her emotionally, unable to ask for anything else. She sighed and smiled sadly. "It's downtown, a block away from your school. " the _'Ask Doumeki-kun to come with you' _went unspoken.

"We should have a reception tonight! Invite some people over! We can have jell-o shots and invite some friends like Himawari-chan and-" she hopelessly tried to remove the tension by poking fun at him, but by the way he looked at her angrily in an accusing fashion, she trailed off in fear. He looked like he was about to smack her.

"Shut up." he spat at her as he left, the witch's eyebrows furrowed and she squeezed dry tears from her eyes. Hitsuzen was a cruel thing.

----

"_ I'd like to escape a thousand miles away from home_

_where everyone loves everyone and I'm not alone_

_Where no one ever points a gun and threatens you with war_

_where you can-(2)" _Doumeki stopped his mp3 player abruptly, tearing his headphones off, cursing like a sailor as he glanced at the time. He had to book it to school or he would receive detention from his English teacher, and those language teachers weren't pleasant(3). As he reached for his schoolbag, he caught sight of his emerald wedding band. Suddenly the image of Watanuki, color drained from his face and eyes empty as his wallet caused him to almost drop his bag in alarm. Doumeki had to take a moment to compose himself. Right now Watanuki should be in Yuuko's, and should be a block away waiting-

_Shit._

-For almost twenty minutes now. Speaking of that, he was deeply in it.

Doumeki sprinted.

-------------

Watanuki paused in his quest of straightening his spectacles as a group of girls walked by, he tore his hand away from sight and hid it. He was unlucky as a familiar unlucky girl grabbed his wrist and caught his attention. "Ohh! Watanuki-kun, this is beautiful! Where did you get this?" Himawari's eyes widened in exuberance, holding his hand childishly like a kid holding a much wanted toy. In any other scenario, he should probably be thrilled that she was paying attention to him, but probably not over a wedding ring. Especially his _mother's. _He had dreamed of giving his future wife this ring, not to be stuck with it on. He scratched his head in embarrassment_, _the only thing he could do with the hand she was not grasping between two softy feminine hands. It occurred to him that just because he was legally married to Doumeki on paper meant nothing. He could lead a normal life. As he tried to smile back at her, he found that as he locked his different colored eyes with hers, that he couldn't.

"So who's the lucky girl?" he looked at her long and hard, gulping uncertainly. He scrambled to think up a name before-e.

"Doumeki-kun! What was the functions homework?" -**_he_** arrived. He snatched his hand away and held his books to his chest. By the way the girl beside Doumeki pestered him, he had been there for a while. He simply stared at the seer.

"g-good morning." he looked down shyly, feeling nothing like himself. He heard the barely covered hitch of breath as she just seemed to _understand _what was going on, and why did his face suddenly feel hot? From the corner of his eye he saw Doumeki walk off with girl A still bothering him about math homework. Himawari seemed to attempt recovering as she stared after Doumeki's hand in mute awe. She smiled in anticipation.

"So when's the reception?" she asked with a coy grin. Watanuki let his marriage documents fall to the floor in shock.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter! The reception! You bet! Sorry if this chapter seemed really half assed :S

(1) Watanuki's silliloquay in chapter 186 in XXXHoLiC

(2) One of my new songs I wrote, it's a peace type of song.

(3) My french teacher gave me detention? You want to know why? Because I was the only one who did my homework. She made me stay in to make it correct -_- which it already was


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: i don't own XXXHoLiC...just this fic. I also saw the clip this happen but I don't watch the anime so I made it up as I went along. Comment if you know what really happened in this scene :S This will be short 3 shot. Hopefully. And to add on to this-WOAH MAMA. I've never gotten this many emails and alerts before for something I posted almost half a day ago! 0.o Thank you guys for the alerts and reviews! YAY! I had chicken nuggets this morning! And I ha dfun writing this chapter =3 I hope you have fun too!

**If the ring fits**

"You'd think you'd wear something better to your own wedding." she appraised dryly with eyes as garment as his shirt. She pinched the material within two manicured fingers, the black rabbit like creature mimicked this action. "Red's just not your color." the owner of the garment shirt slapped their hands away and glared with translucent bi-colored eyes. "Shut up." he ordered, lacking the fervor like it had that morning.

The garment eyed witch pouted at her worker's behaviour. "Are the jell-o shots ready?!" she asked impatiently, eyes shining like gems with greed. Her worker retaliated into the safe haven of the kitchen, nervously retreating away from her childish ways. "They're ready! They're ready! Jeez, relax!" he waved his left hand dismissively, calling attention to the reason for celebration. Her eyes zeroed in on the emerald gem before complaining once more, eyes filling with crocodile tears. "What about the cake?!" she wailed theatrically, "There won't be any-" the knocker resounded in the shop with the sound of the three loud ominous raps.

He shuddered in nervousness and before he had time to get up, the witch took him into her arms. "Good luck. I'm proud of you." she whispered into his ear, sounded much like the mother figure she should have been until now. Perhaps he would pause to admire that if not for the fact that it didn't make any sense. Or at least the luck part, and maybe an expansion as to what she took pride in? To summarize or in two bluntly stated words: she sounded like a schizophrenic lunatic.

When he opened the door, he had to blink in shock at the sight of the charismatic pair before him.

Himawari wore her hair down for the first time, the rest of her ebony ringlets held back by a mere bright green hairband. She wore a spaghetti strap knee length pear-colored sun dress and white strapped heels arching her feet from the ground by three inches. She wore makeup and a lip-glossed her arms was a tray of pink frosted cupcakes, each meticulously donning a crazy candle and letter. He didn't want to read what it said. More so than Himawari to, the man who shared the load with her wore a white button up shirt with a loose red tie and a black suede jacket left open. Doumeki had left the first few buttons of the shirt open to reveal a muscular collar, leaving much to the imagination and wanting more for the eye. He snapped his eyes away so he wouldn't be called on for staring. "YAYYYYY! CAKE!!!" Of course. Yuuko's word was law.

---------------

"Time to crack the Kagami-wari-(1) " Yuuko beamed in obvious delight before Watanuki chose that moment to take a stand, disheveled and obviously(slightly) drunk. "There's enough alcohol at this party! Aren't you worried about getting charged for serving minors?!" The seer argued slamming his hands down on the table to emphasise his point, and throw Himawari's jell-o shot into her lap. "I'm so so-" he quickly apologized before he saw her laying on the tatami under the table, heels discarded somewhere and clearly sleeping. He stared before putting up with a deluded crazy person. "But Watanuki it's tradiitttiiioooooonn!!!" she whined as she held the large wooden container to he chest, the wood cracked under her embrace and leaked beer onto her pristine white kimono. "What is wrong with you girls?!" he shouted and grabbed his head in despair as Yuuko suddenly passed out and wreck the elegant violet and white kimono. He proceeded to drag the two off before yours truly grasped his shoulder.

"Do you need any help?" it could have been the Bicardi(2) but he was very sure or at least very mistaken when he heard the concern in his supposed husband's voice. He shook the hand off and felt his eyes start to fall out of focus. He suddenly dropped the two women's weight and his own. He was waiting for the familiar feel of the tatami mats he had been oh-so-acquainted with, but it never came. He tried to shield his face from the light with his arm but found it pinned behind a shoulder. A very muscular,_broad,_shoulder mind you. He was held in that intimate way where he didn't want to breathe and wanted to know if he actually knew _how._ He felt almost as pathetic and girly as he did that morning. He lifted his hands to try to ward off the contact, but let his hands fall as he enjoyed being hugged. His eyes took time adjusting as he focused on Doumeki, illuminated by the overhead light, looking very much like a prophet sent from the gold eyes shone, one eye paler than the other and even though he was still lucid and his senses, he allowed himself to smile drunkenly. _Mine, all mine _he thought childishly and disregarded the shocked expression he wore at his husband's contentedness. He also disregarded the fact that Doumeki was wearing another new expression. What do you know, maybe getting married **does** get you to know the person better. He even disregarded the fact that he was the one looping his arms around Doumeki's neck, and Doumeki chose the que to bring his hands toward his waist and pull him into a standing position. He convinced himself that he was helping Doumeki as he inched forwards to an upright position, each one bringing him closer to his lips. Moist heat cascaded on his lips as Doumeki let out a nervous gust of air before their lips connected. They both reveled in the feeling of being loved, of rightness. The image exploded then.

An older version of Sakura and Syaoran kissed passionately, rice and cheers being thrown into the air as they smiled into each other's mouths.

Life seemed to imitate art as Watanuki smiled into the lip lock and pulled away from the kiss with the most loving look in his eyes, mirroring his father with the two most emotional words-

" **I do. **"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: i don't own XXXHoLiC...just this fic. I got the idea from a clip in an AMV I saw and therefore have no idea where the idea originated from -_- AND THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEW AND ALERTS! You make me a happy happy,authoress! Special thanks to **EchizenRyomaLover** and **Catastrophic Monsoon **for your consistent, honest reviews and for urging me on with this story! I only wanted a short three-shot, and I now am developing up to seven or eight-and the story is NOWHERE near done now! And thanks to all those people who reviewed anonymously and don't even have fanfiction accounts, that especially made me really happy!

**If the ring fits**

Doumeki froze at those affectionate words. The spell cats seemed to have lost its magic as his husband attempted to pull him in for another kiss. It was easier to let it happen the first time, where they were under the illusion that they were in an alternate universe and that they were that couple in that memory. That reality was a distant memory, in fact, a foreign memory. Someone Else's memories.

But reality was happening, right in Yuuko's living room.

"Come on. Walk it off." he commanded with a fraction of plea in his voice as he continued to pry the seer's fingers off the lapels of his jacket. This caused the tip-toed seer to lose his balance and smash his nose into Doumeki's collarbone. The archer flinched at the injury, and the seer merely rubbed his nose in chagrin.

Once recovered, he led his husband through various rooms of the shop. He happened to stumble across a room that had him nearly gawk and close before the seer could peer into the room. "What was it?" he asked tiredly, absently tripping over his own feet as he struggled to keep up with Doumeki's brusque pace. The archer simply kept his eyes forward, face flooding with unwelcome heat, being a traditional boy after all.

The exorcist exhaled heavily and changed course judging by the stagnant air wreaking of alcohol, smoke, and old things. Watanuki did'nt seem to like this game plan. "We can't leave the shop-" he almost whimpered as the married couple pushed through the wooden front doors. " We won;t." he assured, gratefully breathing in the clean air of the separate dimension. The air tasted sweet, like the pond not too far off that overlooked the indigo twilight sky and picturesque patch of stars. It was a beautiful night. His dress shoe clad feet brushed the well-trimmed grass, something he was not used to feeling as a neglectful monk. He enjoyed the feeling of his open-toed sandals gracing the soft long grass of ferns planted long ago when on a stroll through the temple. The same grasses he used to hide behind when he was a kid and ran away to whenever his adoptive grandmother tried to educate a rather difficult temple duty/exorcising method. Those years were the best before she fell sick with Alzheimer's. If only she could see him now(3).

He was broken from his reverie by a tug at his arm. He blinked at the childish gesture and watched as Watanuki held the same childish nervousness as he mutely asked if they could sit down. He nodded and let himself be pulled down onto his knees. "Not exactly what I had in mind with 'walk it off', but this will do." he remarked as his hands found purchase in the grass, slightly longer in areas than the usually perfectly cut grass. He received an innocent questionable look that looked nowhere near as obnoxious when he was irritated whenever the archer did something strange. "You're talking a lot today." the seer stated, eyes downcast as they tore up patches of grass, something he would probably regret in the morning. The archer settled himself into a sitting position and allowed himself a small smile and a chuckle. "I'm in a talkative mood today." he said, words carrying over him like the warm night breeze.

Watanuki dropped onto his back, staring at the stars like that day he had stared at the rings. "Am I dreaming right now?" the seer whispered, and felt a looseness on his finger. He brought it up to his face and noticed that the ring could easily slide up and down his finger. The gem looked obsidian in the night. Sudden questions arose in him. "Watanuki-" Doumeki's baritone voice began to warn, cut off by the sudden threading of the spirit magnet's fingers within his. :Like that. I'm married now. Do I keep my name? Does anything change at all? What about intimacy?What do you call me?" his questions became more accusatory as he cryptically questioned their situation, eyes sharpening more determinedly at each new arisen question. "Watanuki-" he warned, a tad more dangerously. His husband rolled his eyes. "Kimihiro." he snapped, glaring just like he usually did, like he had gone back to how he was before. "I want to hear you say it once." his eyes narrowed,seeming almost dangerous despite the fact that he was laying on his back and holding his hand like an accessory and demanding his first name to be spoken intimately.

A few moments of silence ensued at this simple request. Perhaps the simplicity of the demand had thrown the exorcist for a loop, and he didn't bother hiding it. "Huh?" the Doumeki stared stupidly at the shop worker who merely rolled his said not a word further. Until the moments started to ticking by, making the young Watanuki grow impatient. "Just spit it out! How hard is to say a few syllables-" "Kimihiro." the archer had said quickly at the Same time as his outburst. This silenced him some more before he glared and rolled onto his side, lowering his eyes to the patches of torn grass. He heaved a sigh of relief through parted lips. "Nothing has to change after all." he smiled, tugging Doumeki down on his back to see what he was seeing. The ebony sky was star-spangled and littered with stardust, the blues and whites and yellows all coercing with each other in the same space, as if the logic behind the temperatures of stars had nothing to do with the beautiful sight.

"I like Doumeki anyway." he said abruptly, as if this was the most natural thing to say like he was buying hangover medication or getting more tea. The usually stoic archer's eyes widened in large brass saucers at the statement and choked on his own spit, staring to hack in shock at the simply spoken confession. The seer started to giggle at some inside joke and he was trying to quell the unwelcome heat in his insides. "The sound of it I mean. Dou-me-ki. And I thought that _I _had a lot of eyes!(4)" He joked as his expression fleeted between normalcy and docility. As Watanuki's liquor-induced words began to fade, his husband curled to his side, sharing his pleasant body heat. The peace of the situation, the warm summer night, the soft grass, the star-spangled sky, Doumeki gave into it all as he lay his head back and closed his eyes, hearing the soft whispers of a boy who wasn't quite human, and not quite ghost.

He decided that this life wasn't so bad. Especially when Watanuki took the advantage of their linked hands and planted a kiss halfway between his lip and ear.

-------------

A/N: For those who are pretty confused when I didn't expand on (1) and (2) last chapter.

(1) if you read Tsubasa, it was the same one in Volume 10 when Suzuran and the Kannushi get married in Shara. It's like a sake pinata. Except imagine a large wooden container with a rough-hewn wooden lid. Which by the way, none of that was my desciption. It's the Kodansha notes I swear!

(2) Yum. I may be fourteen, but even us teens can appreciate the taste of breezers. It's actually spelled Bacardi, and it's rum. It's really GOOD rum, if I may.

(3) It's not quite AU, in fact, I'm not entirely sure of the setting...that's why it's fanfiction, no?

(4) If I remember right, 104 comes from both Doumeki and Watanuki's names combined right? Someone explained that to me on here on , but I may be wrong because it was quite a few years ago. Basically, what I am referring to is that since Watanuki is known as 'four-eyes' and the kanji for Doumeki's name is 'one-hundred eyes'. I guess that's something lame that Watanuki would chuckle at.

By the way, i may not post that often now (not like I ever did) because I'm supposed to get my grades up in math. Which is a B Average thank you very much. But then again, i just checked my latest (which my parents don't know about) progress report, and I guess i really DO have to improve T_T but i won't surprise myself if I submit to and post more chapters...


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: i don't own XXXHoLiC...just this fic. I got the idea from a clip in an AMV I saw and therefore have no idea where the idea originated from -_- AND THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEW AND ALERTS! You make me a happy happy,authoress! Special thanks to **EchizenRyomaLover** and **Catastrophic Monsoon, and everybody else **for your consistent, honest reviews and for urging me on with this story! I only wanted a short three-shot, and I now am developing up to seven or eight-and the story is NOWHERE near done now! And thanks to all those people who reviewed anonymously and don't even have fanfiction accounts, that especially made me really happy! By the way, if

**If the ring fits**

When Watanuki woke up with a clear head and no ring on his finger, he was convinced that the whole ordeal was one cursed nightmare to begin with. The spirit magnet flexed his fingers, arched his back as relaxed entirely, grateful that today was a Saturday. An odd sound echoed throughout the room as Watanuki shifted his hips on the oddly soft mattress. He automatically abandoned thoughts of dreaming as he fished the ring from his pocket, the emerald shattering from his pressed weight on the delicate gem stone. Tears began to fill his eyes as he knew, just positively _knew _this couldn't be a dream. Disregarded the fact that he had morning breath from drinking rum,wearing the same clothes as yesterday, and woke up in Yuuko's bed of all places. As his bare feet cleared the cold tatami floor, the first thought in his head was how he was going to fix this blunder he had gotten himself into.

----

His senile grandmother walked through to the kitchen, straight to the stove, drooling from the corner of her mouth and muttering unintelligible words. Her grandson put down his coffee cup to redirect her to the table. She cocked a brow at this, she knew she was not right in the mind sometimes, but her grandson hadn't ever stopped her from making breakfast before. But that was probably because she didn't know about a certain ghost-seeing chef. As her bottom touched the seat of the chair, arms still gripping the degenerating muscles of her own. She smelled the strong smell of soap and heat rolling off of his skin, Shizuka didn't bath much in the mornings, in fact, forgetting hygiene to begin with in favor of archery practice in the morning. The Doumeki sighed in exasperation, something he hadn't done in a while. Immediately he had her full attention at this small notion. No, this was important. He was telling her something important. The archer took another mediating breath as he released his burden in the form of two rushed monotonous words.

"I'm married."

He shut his eyes, his grandmother glanced at his left restricting arm, a thick gold band, centred with an emerald in the centre. She smiled toothlessly, lighting up with glee. It wasn't irregular for men back then to marry young like her grandson chose to. In fact, she lit up impatiently at the prospect of meeting her grandson's bride.

"What's her name?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear. The other Doumeki's ears reddened at the question and he answered it none the less.

"Watanuki." he muttered. She rose her brow, wondering why he was telling her the last name. She shrugged it off, and started mumbling plans to herself. Meanwhile, Shizuka was wondering how he was going to keep the two apart.-

------

The smoking witch held the shards of the broken ring in her snowy white palm, the smoke around repelling it''s magical advances, drawing it to the epicentre of a viewer's attention. Unless you were Watanuki Kimihiro.

The orphan kept his saddened eyes downward as the sounds of Yuuko's heavy breathing echoed in the room. "Is it your wish?" she asked the glassy-eyed seer, he only nodded hollowly in response. She smirked, in a sad sort of way, like she did when a customer made a wish that only granted them impending doom in the end, leading themselves into their own demises. "Then, your time to fulfill the bonding process has shortened, you must now complete the ritual in the course of the next two weeks." The seer's eyes widened at the words thrown about casually, _bonding? Ritual? _"What do you mean?" he asked panicking, he was already bonded to Doumeki for like perhaps spiritually. What more bonds could?....Unless...

His eyes nearly widened out of their sockets as he remembered the first night he had moved in to his apartment, without the protection of his parents left him vulnerable to the ghosts. The foster parents taking care of him had hired a witch doctor. Beating him unless and performing, like a hindu wedding ceremony, and all of the sudden he had jumped up and started thrashing the young boy. Hit after hit.(5 )He snapped out of the brutal daydream and shivered in fear, anticipating her next words. "You'll have to find the jeweler yourself to figure it out." she winked, causing him to blink owlishly in confusion. Innocence too, he was a babe in the woods after all. Before anger infiltrated his eyes.

"The jeweler?! I wasn't even paying attention to what street the store is even_ on_! How am I supposed to confront the **_jeweler?!_**" he asked, all but yelling in her face, hissing,and bristling like an angered tomcat. He stalked around the store,huffing,and puffing, but not knocking anything down yet. Like the third pig in that fairytale, she watched in amusement as her little feeble wolf, yelling obscenities at her. "You can always ask all, he was there to purchase and buy the rings was he not?" she leaned towards him, finding him in the exact spot he had started in. He paled at her words, but couldn't stop his curiosity. "He should know the conditions. I wonder what he's hiding from you." she whispered in his ear, and he suddenly had a purpose that day. They needed to talk.

------

Doumeki Shizuka shifted through his mail in a fitting hakama, blinking at the rough brown paper packaged parcel addressed to 'Shizuka-kun and Kimihiro-kun.' As he tore it open, he found several strange items. A white, almost transparent lace veil, topped with red roses on the crown(6), some expensive looking wards,tiger balm, and an old fashioned card. Shizuka admired the cover of the card, depicting a sunset rich with dark oinks,yellows,deep oranges, and transparent blues. The single word was printed with gold ink precisely, spelling 'Congratulations'. If he hadn't felt the paper's material and noticed the subtle hints, it could have been from anyone. The dead giveaway was the picture of the three chibis, him,Watanuki,and Kohane holding hands. She wrote such lovely formal words, wondering if she really _was _just eleven years old. The passage read, in a cery hard to read cursive font, that she must have struggled to make look elegant.

_ 'Best wishes to the both of you. I hope you live a happy and long life together.'_

_ -Kohane Tsuyuri_

Those words were the formal, but the several referenced quotes and strings of poem gave away the thought and effort she slaved away, in taking time to acquire these strange gifts, spend hours painting the sunset with her two Lilly white hands, seeming so feeble like Watanuki's,but creating skill with sheer effort. Doumeki had to admit, he had a soft spot for her,just in a different way then Watanuki temple brat liked her simplicity,level-headiness, and the strong maturity she exuded for a girl her she gave such peculiar items, then each held a meaning. The wards may have been old but she must have spent her life savings on the seer, and this thought made him jealous. If she knew that he would always be with Watanuki all the time anyways now that they were married, why did she give them now? But that was besides the point, the wards he could grasp, but a veil and tiger balm? He understood the concept of the lacy thing, but the day hell freezes over, or the dimensions crash, or simply Armageddon, is probably the only time when the seer would ever_, **ever**_ wear the lacy thing,unless he decided to have a proper wedding that is. But tiger balm? It's a remedy for common ailment, and at best, lubricant. But what did-

He was cut off by the memory.

**_"He said it was rape you know." s_**he had her hood pulled up,graphic multi-colored earphones printed on the hoodie,the pitch black a stark background for the neon pink,green,purple and white. He was huddled close to her under her tiny umbrella. One of those anime-mascots printed on them. He noticed it had a white and black pig on it. He held it above them, ducking his neck down to her height of four foot eight to allow her to plug a white earphone into his left ear. They hummed a j-rock and English songs they both knew. The scuffs of her jeans dipping into the puddles and soaking the denim as she attempted a caramelldansen stance as she danced ridiculously to unfitting music(7) She went on, panting as she held her abdomen at straining herself. He couldn't help but laugh until his lungs were screaming at him to stop.

"He said, either way,even if they are willing,it would hurt like hell. I guess that's why I only saw three guys in Japan on lavalife looking for an intimate relationship. He gawked at her in shock. "You didn't-" he began. now cut off by her high pitched giggle. "Oh but Shizuka, I did! And he asked me to bring tiger balm!" she bent over laughing, and together they let out guffaws of glee. Despite the very awkward conversation of her telling him her brother's opinion on gay relationships for a psychology project, he had no idea that two years later he would be remembering that context.

**Ew.**

----------

As Doumeki's grandmother called (or rather _croaked_) their names, he found said grandson walking straight towards him at a blinding face, his body accented by the white and navy hakama we wore, the fitting garments making him look rather...attractive. Before he had any time to question or further muse on Doumeki's looks, he was tripped,knocked over, and pinned down. About to yell very boisterously, the archer simply took a hand off of his pinned wrist to raise a silencing finger to his lips.

_Quiet._

He tightened his lips into a thin line and complied, ashamed at how _suggestive _their position was! His grandmother could very well suffer a stroke, except on the off chance that the stoic exorcist had already told her. But judging by the way his grandmother was yelling out and stumbling, he didn't think that it was too far from the truth.

--

"What's her name?" he asked nervously,wondering if Doumeki would dare to answer,already too close for comfort. He waited,wrists pinned above his head,face coloring,as Doumeki's searching eyes finally graced his.

"Hm?" he asked nonchantly, still alert of his grandmother's growing distance.

This,to say the least,annoyed Watanuki. "I asked you what your grandma's name was, you cretin!" he wriggled,hips touching the archer's abdomen. They both froze,an awkward sensation for the differing fabrics, Watanuki could feel the thin rough fabrics of his newly changed uniform, it was like he was naked in front of his husband. But Doumeki was a ...

_''_! he thought, trying as gently as possible as he could to remove Watanuki's hips from his abdomen,to draw attention from his steadily climbing erection. "Shizune." he manged to say evenly, parting their bodies,finally. They both collected a break and heard her voice grow fainter.

"Shizune...Haruka...Oh! I see!" something simplistic must have made itself known as the boy recalled the resemblance in the younger Doumeki's name to his grandparents. The archer pulled him up by his wrists. Suddenly surprised, his nose crashed for a second time into Shizuka's jaw. Instead this time,it sent a jolt of memory to the seer. The many free kisses from last night. "Your sure missing some manners today." Watanuki didn't seem to get the insult at first,but stopped himself from grandmother was near and he knew _just _the way to throw the archer off. He smiled seductively, not sure if it would at the Doumeki's eyes, it worked. He worked his way up on his toes. He tried to use that voice that those girls did in Yuuko's animes when they went in for the kill (8) "Am I?I can make up for that in-" he blew in a stupefied exorcist's ear."...kindness." he finally breathed out, just _not _about to say pleasure. As if sensing that the act had lost its time, Doumeki pulled away,pinching the seer's delicate jaw in between several fingers. "Don't fuck with me." the brass eyes flashed, and his own Sapphire and gold eyes widened in fear and shock at the uttered swear. He unknowingly shivered, and his husband must have saw this because he let go and turned away,back tensed and muscles coiled in stress.

"Why did you marry me?" he whispered inaudibly, uncharacteristically sad and weak as the priest turned his back to the seer. The navy bow of the hakama titled, infuriating him at the sloppiness of the archer's chosen way of dressing. "I didn't know what i was getting myself into." he said matter-of-factly,slapping down some custom wards onto the dusty table for the spirit magnet to Doumeki. Besides, it wasn't like he was expecting or wanted Doumeki to say anything mushy, but unprepared for his harsh blunt honest words.

Doumeki furrowed his eyebrows, seeking a missing ward. As he reached backwards for the pile, something dripping onto the back of his hand,sliding over his knuckles. The temple brat jumped and check whether or not the seer was bleeding or salivating all over him. However, that didn't stop him from gawking (as close as a Doumeki can) at the person before him.. The beautiful boy looked down with wide blue and gold eyes, soundless tears running off of his face. He widened his eyes further, as if to stem the flow of tears and keep from crying, failing , the seer lifted the back of his hand to brush the tears that was it. He remembered the man, mutely hiding his sadness, chest wracking with stifled sobs as he simply walked away. Not bothering to snatch a seal. The archer began to doubt that this was the only reason the seer had wanted to come over to his house. To be perfectly honest, he didn't have the heart to follow after Watanuki. Despite that the month that suggested that the spirits be amok and abundant, especially at this time of day. Marriage is troublesome, he thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose and massaged his temple. the ring squeezed his finger as if to reprimand him and alert him of the mistake he was making, and punishing him for his insensitivity to the Watanuki's feelings. He wasn't so lucky as his grandmother found him and started to babble. Oh what he would give to be **_single _**again.

"I wanted to meet her!" she said in between nonsense, looking crestfallen.

He didn't want to break it to her that said 'her' was actually a 'him'.

---

A/N: Sorry if this chapter was attempt at humor is very,very,morbid.

(6) Shouko's wedding veil in Episode seven of Baka To Test Shokanjuu (its really funny,trust me!)

(7) Bitches by Mindless Self Indulgence. It works, apparently, my friends do it all the time.

(8) Face Yuri.

Next chapter I'll post links for what I think the rings look a great March break!


	7. Chapter 7

Well, as promised-here are Watanuki's possible rings :) And perhaps a little snippets from the next chapter XD

.com/art/Vote-4-Watanukis-ring-in-itrf-157496184

So far, one person likes the one on the left, and I agree. It's actually how it's supposed to look like :o please copy and paste in your browser to see this wonderful article of jewlery!

--------

The tears could have been rain, but when all was silent and the boy on his knees looked towards the beautiful moon as white as he-he had heard pitiful unbashful weeping that only so little people could release, who could generally _cry _and not fear of embarassment and pride. It was such a painful, unwelcome sound, and he was aware that in that moment, he felt like an intruder. This was private in the most confidential ways, and he was just sitting, cold and alert, listening to a boy at school cry his heart out. He felt bile rise in his throat, men shedding tears was still not a pretty sight, gay or not. But he looked so...human. An uncontained,sad,human being. And try as he might, it scared him all the same.

-----------------

_Save me _he inwardly plead.

* * *

He had never really been told how much he looked like his grandfather until he turned sixteen. Even when they pointed out he was simply the spitting image of his granfather in his youth, he knew better. He knew the truth behind the ochre eyes, the ones that pierced through your soul and dictate you, differentiating between the departed and the living.

After all, he had made a deal with a spirit himself.

---^0^---

So review and tell me what you think!!!!


	8. Chapter 7 part one

**If the ring fits**

In his dream, Doumeki had chased after him when he had run away from the temple, and rescued him from the spirit gnawing on his leg. Dreams must have been close realities because not only had the spirit succeeded in effectively ripping off his clothes-but proceeded to lick up his bare alabaster limb as his back grounded down into the hot cement of the road, scalding his back as he tried not to writhe in pain from the provocative touch. Sweat began to dot his pink-tinged skin, he felt guilty and dirty. It's not like he had been rejected, but all the same he allowed himself to submit to the monster's advances, because beggars weren't choosers, and he could at the least escape with his life-hopefully. He shouldn't have cared either, but acceptance usually came before understanding and found he did the former, puzzling himself and leaving him emotional and impulsive like he had been that afternoon. He was being shameless, letting this humanoid boar-resembling creature lick him like a delicious treat like the ones he cooked from time to time. Having its way with him, like the slut he was. He covered his left eye, unbeknownst to him, darkening from its unusual gold to a woodsy hazel.

_Save me _he inwardly pleads.

* * *

He had never really been told how much he looked like his grandfather until he turned sixteen. They would remark his broad shoulders, his cool and collected demeanour, stunning good looks, saying that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Even when they pointed out he was simply the spitting image of his grandfather in his youth, he knew better. They were wrong and he knew the truth behind the ochre eyes, the ones that pierced through your soul and dictated you, differentiating the departed from the alive. Those beautiful sharp, brass, almost _gold _eyes.

Those eyes hadn't been passed down to him by genes, he wasn't born with them. His own eyes were a very strange brown and subtle hazel. He had those eyes until he turned sixteen. And no, he hadn't gotten them through puberty or anything dumb like that. Someone closed to him had died, and that was how he had realized bitterly the mystery behind the unearthly ochre eyes.

After all, he had made a deal with a spirit himself.

_She still had the black hood pulled up, sheltering her from the downpour of the rain. It hadn't obstructed her face though, wet, big brown eyes looking at his warmly. She gushed blood from her mouth as she bit back a wheezing cough, but she still continued to smile, and he wondered if she was mocking him, even as close to death as she was, hunched over her protectively was the crying brown eyed Shizuka. She covered his two eyes with fingers darkened in her own blood. Before he could register the full itching sensation under his lids, he had grabbed his head into his own hands and screamed in agony._

_The excruciating pain attacked his eyes from the inside out, gauging them in place, again and again. His retinas tore, and when she dropped her hand away, he was blinded, seeing nothing but the milky sea around him. The pain of torture grasped him as he blindly looked for her hand, unable to search with unseeing eyes, worn at the sting of tears. Maybe it was better this way, to ease his suffering, unable to see her as his important person died in front of him. But she wouldn't make it easier._

_She sought his hand, and struggled to pull herself up and grabbed his shoulders for leverage. If he hadn't been so paralyzed by his own pity party, he probably could have mustered the courage to hold her close. She kissed his lips, last words on her sour breath, sour with the stench of blood, smearing the gross fluid on to his own lips. His vision returned to him slowly, and with sharpened clarity he recalled her body-coiled around his, as if meant to wrap around his in death's embrace. Her hood had dropped down, and he grasped the familiar ebony locks desperately, bending her in half as he kissed her more aggressively, reflecting the longing, the sadness, the passion that was once their friendship. Memories. When he had turned the bend around the school, and she was fitted between the two narrow walls of the school's buildings, wearing nothing but a cotton pair of panties and a bra as the foreigner dressed into what he recognized as his school's uniform. The other encounters around school, attracted to her oddness, to her… and they unexpectedly became friends. Close ones. _

_Her eyes were just as beautiful and big, even more when enhanced with his new eyesight, reflecting shining gold orbs in her own. Reality dispelled around him as a cat-eyed girl appeared behind her, holding the small's girl's shoulders and smirking at him (1.) "What are you willing to sacrifice?" the woman asked, short cropped jet black hair floating by her temples in wisps. She batted her gold eyes at him and hugged the girl closer to her chest, chains shackling the girl to her. He looked down and his forehead crumpled in distress. His own next words startled him, and he felt heartless. "There is nothing I can do." He muttered, and feebly prayed that he was dreaming. People didn't just up and die shackled to creepy spirits. Despite his religious heritage, he couldn't bring himself to believe any of it._

**_'Even if you don't believe in religion, it's something you fall back on-and you will always believe in someone and something. Atheist or not. What's reassuring is that it'll always be there for you, whether you want it to or not. And nothing can change that." She smiled at him nervously. "Well, its belief and you can decide what to do with it." _**

_He didn't have to believe any of it. So he went along. "I'm not sure, any suggestions?" she smiled wickedly but it appeared more as a grimace. "I hate that kind of attitude-"she tapped a slender, long finger nail over the girl's throat like cat's claws. His eyes widened at the drops of blood falling from her neck. **Keep calm. Keep calm.** He thought, overwhelmed by her prolonged suffering, even after death. "Should we play with this toy-see, it can sing!" the cat girl squealed in delight as she began to sing, just as she always did._

_'**I'd like to escape a thousand miles somewhere away from home, where everyone loves everyone and I am not alone...' **her lyrics faded, eyes opening in slits._

_"Just spare her!" he yelled with reckless abandon, unaware that the words had already been shouted. The cat girl giggled in amusement. "That's better. I'll take what I want later." She grinned in triumph, dropping the bleeding corpse. _

He had woken up at home, and everyone thought he was insane.

No lie, he probably was.

* * *

This is part one of my original chapter seven! I'm uploading it in installment because of how long it is. How was it?

1. Yes its the cat girl from XXXHoLiC I didn't want to use the Spider lady because..just because -.-'

And yes, the lyrics are mine. I refrained from using new ones because I thought these would have more of a haunting feeling to them. Did it work?

OH! My average went up three percent!! So because of that, I'll be updating on weekends,Tuesdays at the most :3 stay tuned!


	9. Chapter 4 extra

**If the ring fits**

**BONUS CHAPTER!**

Himawari adjusted her camera, unfortunately right by the smoking incense, the only place where she could record this prank without them knowing. They were all huddled together around Yuuko's mac-book air (1) all quizzical (including the time space witch herself) with what exactly they were about to watch.

"It's _really _good Watanuki-kun, so don't look away or anything!" she said with the hugest shit eating grin she could muster,unable to contain her sadistic glee. Despite her drunk crush's obvious loopiness, he widened his eyes in fear and goosebumps crawled all over his skin. "_Please _don't tell me we're watching that follow the red dot thing again!" he shivered and everyone in the room (Maru and Moro included) stared at him blankly. Yuuko was the first to break the silence.

"Of all the things we could be watching-_that _was your guess?" she asked thickly,really bemused by his fears.

"Again?" Watanuki's husband questioned unhelpfully.

"Everyone shut up and just watch the video!" he said bitterly, frowning and shrinking into himself on a bean bag chair right under the longue one Yuuko surprisingly wasn't sitting on. Himawari debated where she should sit by when she watched this. The girls _were _les but Yuuko was probably the wiser than that to overreact to it.

"Lovers Theme", from Hervé Roy's _Romantic Themes_, plays and everyone just looks, unfazed at first and then each person's face morphed into a disgusted slash disbelief slash..shocked as an understatement. Watanuki's eyes widened and he shut them, face turning green as he swallowed down vomit. Doumeki hadn't been as lucky. He tried to crawl over to the wastebin halfway before throwing up then and there. When she sees a more explicit and raw version of Doumeki's reaction mirror on the screen she slaps her hands to her mouth like Watanuki. "Is it over-" he looks up at the wrong time and yellow-ish fluid he cannot hold back slips free from the corner of his mouth. As disgusted as she was, she felt herself heat up as the witch's hand lays on top of her fingers. Curiously, she flexes them and finds the older woman clasp her hand in her own. The video is long over, but everyone (except Maru and Moro) is displaying their disgust in some ways. Others choosing to have passed out on the floor like Doumeki had, and crying and rocking back and forth like Watanuki was. And some sick certain black creature was shrugging it off and somehow eating a swirly chocolate flavored ice cream cone as if they hadn't just seen what went down on the screen.

Everything is silent except for Watanuki's hushed pleas,Maru and Moro dancing in circles around the boy, singing his chants,and her furiously beating heart.

Their entwined hands rest on her bare knee, and she isn't much aware of the appendage until it caresses her, like she was a fragile,soft thing-and moves up slowly,daring it to stop her ministrations. She chokes in anticipation as she looks down at her green knee length dress hiking up and up-

Before it pauses.

All Yuuko had needed to do was stop before the younger unlucky girl did something drastic, so she could think about what she was getting herself into. A moment and passed, and the curly haired girl brought her knees up from under her to open and spread her thighs, already sweaty from adrenaline. She felt the swelling go down south, and as her legs had moved, the hand had automatically fell to no man's land and Yuuko held pride of the fact that she was the only one who had ever seen and touched her pristine white fully-lace panties, wet for _her._

Already about to continue, the girl suddenly jumped up and smiled down at her coyly.

"The camera's still on." Himawari commented with an innocent smile, skipping away to retrieve her forgotten camera.

So Himawari liked to play games.

She liked to play them _dirty._

Two could play at that game then.

* * *

you don't know already, Yuuko's stinking rich, and YES they are watching 2 girls 1 cup. I haven't watched it, but i tried to keep it in character and base it off the reactions I've seen. Yeah, a guy actually did what Doumeki did. 8D eighth chapters coming out soon everybody, don't worry!

I'll be updating on weekends,Tuesdays at the most :3 stay tuned!


	10. Chapter 7 part two

**If the ring fits**

He threw the items across the futon and sat down nonchalantly.

Or at least he _appeared _to be.

His palms sweat,his heart hammered,his pupils dilated,and his pathetic excuse for breathing was reduced to nervous ragged breaths that reminded him of his childhood days when he had been asthmatic,as his returned golden eyes switched from gazing at the floor to the white door where Watanuki was currently showering behind. He didn't know how to react to what the two were about to do and as the shower stopped,nervously, he gave himself something to do, accidentally tearing the 'Trojan' box so anxiously that he had ripped half the whole cardboard package as the contents spilled out onto the floor.

His jaw dropped in shock.

* * *

The weight solidified all around him and he was very sure he was going to die because he couldn't breath, and there was a girl sitting on his chest that he _swore _hadn't been there before. The brown skinned girl narrowed her eyes at him and mutely glared, as if to telepathically tell him _'you're an idiot' _as the demon dissipated behind her, leaving both alone as the chill of the demon's presence disappeared and replaced his whole body with a hot flush at the sight of the girl staring down at him. "I-I'm sorry!" he apologized for no reason, maybe because he was naked and on his back in the middle of the street moaning like a porn star and that he hadn't snapped out of his stupor. As he continually sputtered, the girl rose her eyebrows in mock question, probably not paying attention to the fact that she was sitting on an older naked boy's body on a dark street.. His arms shot up to ward her off in panic, praying she wasn't with anyone. Their position was quite a..._scandal _to say the least.

Instinctively she dodged his hands from where her chest had been a moment ago and wondered if that notion was related to the fact that he was naked and got off the lewd seer at this thought.

The seer, once blue with lack of oxygen regained his breath and retireved his clothing with a dizzy head. What had just happened? He thought to himself as he zipped up his pants and buttoned his uniform blouse and when he turned around, he jumped when he saw that the girl was still staring at him with big huge eyes.

"Um, can I help you with anything?" he stammered under the child's scrutiny and she shook her head and tapped her throat impatiently. "Do you want water?" he asked quizzically as she shook her head no as she opened her mouth this time as to answer, then stopped herself and looked at him expectantly. He stared at her hard in confusion for a long moment, wondering how she had started with a rescue attempt from a spirit to a messed up game of charades. "Can you talk?" he asked her curiously, wondering if he had any pen and paper on him. Her eyes lit up and she grinned, bobbing her head. Why was she glad that she couldn't talk? He got his answer as she took his hand and placed it on her chest.

* * *

The mouldy oldie books still smelt like they had seven years ago. The smell of cigarettes and incense still clung to the pages as he flipped through them with a growing annoying migraine pulsing at his temples. He tried to absorb the information that the old scriptures with the knowledge they promised him but he couldn't see it. Behind his eyelids was the crying Watanuki. Who left. Without his protection. Without _any. _

He sighed in frustration, finally caving as he dropped his kimono and book(that he already five times by the way) changing into his sweatpants and hoodie_, _setting out in the direction of Watanuki's apartment._ He was being so stupid, he _had promised to protect Watanuki, even gave away half of his eye,his blood,his freedom as a single man-_and threw it all away over a stupid comment he made. _That albeit true, didn't lessen the impact and stress it made it on Watanuki's new life. But what the seer been expecting?

_"Why did you marry me?"_

_"I didn't know what i was getting myself into."_

The stale smell of smoke was very attempting as he itched for the hidden packet under the flowerpot in his grandfather's office-but decided against it as he left the house hurriedly, his grandmother frantically babbling at his sudden escape, left floundering and mute at her grandson's departure.

* * *

After a missed semester of therapy and summer full of archery, the new and improved Doumeki Shizuka entered the first day back from school as suddenly the most talked about student on campus.

When the boy had stopped coming to school(therapy) ridiculous rumours spread that he had murdered and went crazy and killed someone,that he was kidnapped and a ransom over his head,some stretching to the assumption that perhaps he was just dead even though the possibility of that was **_very _**_slim. All rumours seemed to cease when he had come back. The girls marveled that the once week and shy Doumeki was really the strong silent type, that they never noticed his almost neon brass colored eyes, how he had grown from a mere five foot eleven to a six foot three in the span of five months. It had gotten so annoying that Doumeki rather focused on his school work and extra-curriculars, but that seemed to have the annoying students chatter more about him-how studious and athletic he was, etc etc. As he searched for the answer to social suicide, unexpectedly (and unwelcoming) his wish was granted._

_A Cross Private sneaker went flying towards his temple and he had no time to dodge the unexpected attack as he felt to the soccer goal, flat on his back. "Goal!" an alto voice called out triumphantly as he tried to quell the hysteric stars swimming in his eyes. Of course, there was only one person in the school who wore everything Cross Private down to his very toes-was ghostboy Watanuki Kimihiro._

_Social Outcast.__Ghostboy.__Fag._

_The works._

_But just because the school assumed that meant that the humbled Doumeki did. _

_Irritated voices sarcastically congratulated Watanuki for 'a job well done' and that Doumeki's head was a soccer ball. There was a minuscule argument between Watanuki and the small gym class and he couldn't grow to actually **care **what they were talking about._

_"Well I don't see what's so special about this creep, he only has one expression!" the annoying seer complained as if he wasn't just towering over the Doumeki like he wasn't there. The Doumeki fought back the vertigo of lifting himself up._

_"What about me?" he didn't know why he should bother, grandmother always said to avoid unecessary fights as much as boy sneered at him and repated his statement with a smirk._

_"There isn't. So don't talk to me like fag." he said with no remorse as he watched the triumphant smirk slip away as the boy shut up and stared at him hollowly. The other boys laughed and whopped in congratulation at putting **the **Watanuki Kimihiro in his place. As the boys walked away laughing, Doumeki whispered in the boys ear as he casually walked past the unmoving boy. "I'm sorry." he said hurriedly against the shell of the boy's ear, feeling the shudder of the boy's body against his. But how could only a brush of shoulders excite him already in anticipation at his newly made rival?  
_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_

_"This is how I'm going to die. Alone." the eccentric student stated to himself in the raining park as he nursed the corpse of the puppy in his arms. _

_Not questioning,not .Matter-of-factly at that._

_You don't know that! He had wanted to say to the seer as he held the shrine paper umbrella over his head as it poured. He stayed rooted to the spot, a knot in his throat as he willed himself to move and offer something to the depressed first year. But how? They didn't know each other. At all. Except for that encounter from earlier that week. And that gave him no reason to shield the boy from the rain. Two giggling girls passed by, both sharing a neon green umbrella and he whipped around and grabbed the girl's arm. The girl squeaked and stumbled back in surprise against his chest."I'll give you ten dollars if you give that boy over there my umbrella." he looked down at her, already regretting this offer as icy sheets ran down his back. To say the least, the girl looked very offended. But she recovered, shaking her head as she took the umbrella and ran down to where the stupefied Watanuki was standing. Doumeki ducked under the girl's neon green umbrella, the owner of it sputtering out in embarrassment, raven hair falling over her eyes as she looked down to avoid further embarrassment. _

_At the sight of another human being, Watanuki dropped the animal's corpse and stared suprised at the girl offering him Doumeki's umbrella, he declined out of politeness he assumed. Because it's not everyday someone runs to a stranger and offers them their own umbrella when its pouring. As the girl ran back and shook her head at him, he bid them fareweel in concentration as the attractive boy dropped down onto his knees._

_Curiously, the Doumeki hid under a bus shelter and vaguely wondered where his umbrella went as he watched the eccentric boy dig in the soft mud of the riverbank. What is he-_

_Frantically as if a murderer was hiding its roadkill, Watanuki buried the animal with the utmost care of a spastic maniac._

_The tears could have been rain, but when all was silent and the boy on his knees looked towards the beautiful moon as white as he-he had heard pitiful unabashed weeping that only so little people could release, who could generally cry and not fear of embarrassment and pride. It was such a painful, unwelcome sound, and he was aware that in that moment, he felt like an intruder. This was private in the most confidential ways, and he was just sitting, cold and alert, listening to a boy at school cry his heart out. He felt bile rise in his throat, men shedding tears was still not a pretty sight, gay or not. But he looked so...human. An uncontained,sad,human being. And try as he might, it scared him all the same._

* * *

Watanuki walked out the door fully clothed in the attire he had donned during the reception. Without the absence of his glasses, his face seemed more vulnerable and boyish as they gazed downwards toward the toes of his over sized denim jeans, clutching the hem of his garment tie-dyed shirt (1) with as much anxiety as the sweat on his hands. He kicked the condoms away and stood up, breath matching Watanuki's as he took the seer's hand in his and laid him onto the futon.

"Let's do this." he said between each shallow intake of air, Watanuki nodding to him as he closed his eyes and eagerly threw himself into their heated kiss.


	11. Chapter 7 part three

**If the ring fits**

"Let's do this."he said between each shallow intake of air, Watanuki nodding to him as he closed his eyes and eagerly threw himself into their heated kiss.

Recap shall we?

Shirt unbuttoned, slacks slung low on his hips, and his hand on the young girl's chest would have gotten him arrested.

Oh you know, if you weren't _dreaming_ about it that is.

He was a little mortified because it felt like a dream in a dream. Because the virgin white canopy slung over the circle bed and room with burgundy walls was _definitely _not Yuuko's room. At least he hoped she didn't go putting up gay merchandise and eye-candy (but in no way was it pleasing) plastered over every inch of the room. Panels from yaoi mangas, posters of pairings, romantic decor everywhere and so on. But the worst part? Painted on the door of the room facing him spelt**-**

**CONGRATULATIONS W A T A N U K I & D O U M E K I!**

In big black bold paint,Fully capitalized, and overall really hard to miss. He wished he could curl up in a ball and go back to sleep so he could wake up somewhere _preferable _like his apartment,hell-even Yuuko's love chamber. Cause he knew she had one. The freak. At this rate, he wished he was at the archer's temple right now. They were married,right? He froze at the thought and felt his face warm as he held it in his hands. Gosh, he was such a train-wreck, he was so sensitive nowadays, it made him feel pathetic. There was a tentative knock on the door and he wished god just spare him the trouble and take his life already. The door creaked open slowly and wondered who this pour soul was.

A Gold head poked in with transparent blue eyes, wide as saucers, blinking owlishly at him with uncertainty. He smiled at the familiar young girl and ushered her in with a smile. "Good Morning Kohane-chan!" trying his best not to blush in embarrassment and notice where exactly he was. The old woman wouldn't _really _have a room like this in her house would she? She kept her eyes down and looked at everything but the walls. Which, when surrounded you, proved impossible as she settled for his warm smile. "Did you sleep well?" she asked worriedly, after all, she did find him lying in the middle of the street back from the grocery store naked. She remembered dropping her bags and rushing over too him, scared. There were no notable injuries upon further investigation or that he had, had the..._'the r word_**' **happen to him. After calling a trustworthy neighbor for help and helping him carry the seer back to the kind old woman's home. But...there _had _been something particular about the scene. A cat girl was lingering around, and there were no goldfish to catch and neither did she follow them, but she was smirking at the wall. Watanuki lay on the ground,his face tear stricken, his uniform shirt unbuttoned, his pants falling off of him and she felt a twinge of fear and anger. "What happened?" she questioned the cat girl furiously, little alabaster fists balling up in a vice grip that was sure to choke the life out of anybody, (cat girl included at this point.)

She turned her big brown eyes to Kohane and Kohane held her breath. Those were human eyes, nothing like the usual cat eyes that held vasts amounts of endless power and how..."That is for me to know and you to worry about. But don't fret-he is safe." the cat girl said in a voice that was not a twinge playful, but maturely amused. The young girl widened her eyes in shock at the woman's words and found there was nothing to say to that. She narrowed her eyes in accusation, obviously untrusting of the immortal creature. the cat girl merely chuckled in delight. The cat girl strode over to her and pinched her cheek in between two long, sharp nailed fingers. "You kids are so cute when your young and all that-thinking you can take the world with just your bravado, it's quite ridiculous actually." she mused, letting go of the girls red captured cheek, on the verge of bleeding. The seer still looked at the cat girl with defiant eyes, unfazed by the injury. The cat girl thought of the boy from three years ago, and how he sacrificed his identity for a foreigner that hadn't really loved him like she hoped. And now she was taking it all back. Starting from the eyes.

After all, who else's body was she inhabiting right at this moment?

It was understandable though, the girl from three years that she was in now, was at eye level with her, and her big brown saucers, although in slits-looked very much unintimidating. Much like a kitten trying not to look adorable. But then again, she WAS being narcissistic as she thought and smiled at the girl. "I hope me meet again and oh-" she retrieved the item from her pocket, the young girl glanced at warily, then in confusion and then flamed with chagrin. It was tiger balm. The girl walked away, black and pink striped dress billowing out behind her. "I've never used it, but i think it'll be useful when the time comes." she turned back around with a smirk. "-and tell the witch I've held up my part of the bargain." the girl's jaw dropped in further shock as she strutted in the distance, fading away into the distance. The young girl recovered and rolled Watanuki over, tucking it into his back pocket. Never know when you'll need makeshift lube. After all, she trusted Doumeki.

The old woman strode in with a warm smile. "Did you sleep well Kimihiro-kun?" he chuckled at the repeated question. "Everyone seems to be asking me that lately." he said good naturedly, eyes darkening the slightest bit. The two looked at him and the old woman looked at Kohane seriously. "Can you leave us alone for a word for my dear?' Kohane nodded in understanding and left with a worried glance at Watanuki. Before he could open his mouth to question the wise old women-she answered them smoothly. "Your in my office, it's transitional space that I often use when I have matters to deal with Yuuko-chan." she grinned at him, staring down at him like a wolf reminiscent to his boss. "O-office you say?" he choked, not daring to spare a glance at an uke with his head thrown back in an expression of either fear or ecstasy. "Yes. it was Yuuko's idea." Oh, that was so _not _predictable. Even when the dimensional witch wasn't around she found ways to embarrassment him beyond belief without even being present in the situation. He curled into a ball, draping the comforter around himself as he tried to think up more questions. His nature tended to get him to accept the impossible-and he didn't have any trouble to do that. Sometimes accepting comes before understanding.

"What is love?" he asked abruptly, catching her and himself off guard with the question. A few moments ticked by, the wrinkles in her face softening as she contemplated. He felt his palms sweat as she observed him, seconds ticking by, curiosity keeping him unabashed at that moment. The old woman smirked wolfishly (again like his boss) and spoke with four passionate words. "Friendship set on fire." the words chilled him as he thought of the burning behind inebriated kisses, the flush of anger,embarrassment, mortification, and he thought of Doumeki. He thought and thought as the woman smiled to herself and grasped the door. "Well you should be getting to school should you not?" All thoughts of possible romance flew out the window, literally may he add-as he began to button his shirt and mutter curses, all which containing the temple brat's name. He slowed down as the old lady slid out of the room, prior to when he was hiking up his slacks that he realized he would be tardy to school anyways. He took the time to brush his hair,clean his teeth, (much to his shock that he found all his toiletries on his bedside) and glanced at a circle of white sort of gel. It resembled petroleum jelly but when he lifted the lid and sniffed it, the immediate strong scent of tiger balm assaulted his nostrils. He wrinkled his nose at the strength and pulled back. He didn't remember owning any, and he couldn't think of a use for it as of now. If he was right, it was pretty much like a treat-all kind of ointment that he didn't have the luxury affording. He paused in the doorway, smelling the slight smoke Kohane was creating, her stove cooking skills leaving much to desire as he crept out. Well, he may as well not go to school, he thought feeling free as he walked out onto the street, eyes glinting at his next thought. _"Today I guess I'm playing Hooky."_

The archer tipped his baseball cap lower onto his head, his skull hanging forward to shield himself from the onlookers, curiously trying to investigate who he was. He couldn't blame them, at six foot three, dressed in baggy sweat pants, baseball ball, refusing to meet people's eyes always evoked suspicion in others. Somewhere blurring the lines between celebrity to pedophile, but not a big deal in his book. The latter was very prominent to a regular person since he was in a ghetto district, one he was using as a shortcut to the jeweler's shop. The former was actually what the onlookers considered as they stared at him in awe, too shocked and skeptical to confront or question him. He plugged his ear phones in, droning out the world with her favorite artist, Sara Bareilles.

**_"Who cares if you disagree? You are not made you king of anything?So you dare tell me who to be? Who died and made you king of anything? You sound so innocent, all full of good you know best. But you expect me to jump up on board with you. And ride off into your delusional sunset.__"_**

The transition eased him of his worries as he found himself unintentionally humming the alto vocals in a deep tenor. He willed himself to stop humming, so nearly distracted that he almost missed the sign of Hinata's jewelery store. It was sunset, and the neon sign used at night was unlit. The dim lighting inside cast an ethereal glow in the interior of the shop, transparent through the big glass window in the front. The sheet of paper taped to the front door as he pushed it open reminded him of their last encounter, bells clicking together as the glass door shut behind him.

_" I got these several years ago. They were really such a beauty though! For some reason my customers get this feeling and it's been here for over ten years! I'm willing to sell this at any price at this rate! OH me! Sorry for boring you, was there anything you wanted?"_

Although Hinata's back was turned, her posture resembled a certain witch at that moment, that just by body language alone, the time space witch was in front of him. Her hair was not wrapped into a tight bun, and seemed to turn chestnut brown in the light. She also seemed shorter than before-his eyes widened in shock as he forcefully took the woman's uppers arms from behind and spun her around with a vice grip strong enough to choke a cheetah. 'Hinata' had been taping a brown paper bag over a garment centered bracelet. The roll of tape clattered to the ground and fell from her hands. She wore a smile too uplifting for a thirty year old like he assumed she had been last looked even younger than he, 'Hinata' morphing into a figure of his memory.

"Doumeki-kun, that's no way to treat your mother-in-law." she tut-tutted as his grip on her arms slacked, paralyzed in fear. The girl's clothes began too loosen to fit the 'girl's' new proportions. He started to back away, eyes still widened in fear. 'Who are you?" he asked frightened, the so called mother-in-law continuing her one-sided interrogation. "How is Kimihiro? Is he eating well? Is he healthy since the last time I saw him? Is he doing well in school? Ah! I have SO many questions to ask." she exclaimed exuberantly and backed away from him in turn. She smirked with a mischievous glint in her eye, one that shouldn't be worn by a girl of her looks. "Is my son a good wife to you-You completed the ritual did you not?" the supposedly older of the two flushed a little at her outburst. At this he turned wary. "What ritual?" he asked slowly, Hinata wasn't;t making any sense. "You are confusing me Takhashi-san." he gritted out politely, the wheels turning in his head behind his stoic expression. "Please-call me Sakura!" she beamed, looking as young and innocent as a child. "Takhashi Hinata is just a disguise as a price." 'Sakura' looked down longingly at the garment bracelet. " That was supposed to be a gift. But since I'm going out of business, I can't exactly afford anything." she looked away, gathering the fallen items. he grabbed her arm once more. "Answer my question please _okaa-san._" the woman dropped the bracelet in surprise and looked at him with a sick maddening smile. "You have some nerve. As expected of my son-in-law." she glared at him, still smiling angelically. The contrast scared him shitless to say the least.

" I've already heard from Yuuko-san that the ritual was sped up by two weeks." she sat down on the glass counter and looked down at her hands in her lap. " You had a month to complete it. That's how long it took for me to conceive Kimihiro." she began to explain, Doumeki was only growing more and more confused. What did Watanuki's conception have to with anything-oh shit. "Kimihiro did something foolish to speed up the process. And it happened to be this-" she pulled out a broken wedding ring, when looked upon further inspection it happened to be Sakura's ring. The gem shattered beyond recognition. he felt anger flare up within him. Was this what Watanuki wanted to talk about?

"In the next two weeks, you have to find a way to..._**sleep **_with my son." she winced, looking suddenly very uncomfortable, that dusky pink returning to her cheeks in chagrin.

Being as pissed off as he was, he wanted Sakura to indulge him further. "Beside him?" he inquired, suddenly wanting to laugh at her eye twitch and sudden glare, her whole face ashen in fury. She jumped off the counter and yelled at him, letting loose her bottled emotions. "No you dumb oaf! You have to _**fuck him!**_" she huffed out, steadily turning into a tomato with the combination of anger and shame. "I hate you by the way." she looked at him, suddenly reminiscent of a certain seer. "You and Watanuki are very alike." he allowed himself to smile. When Sakura relaxed, she looked a little surprised but finally returned his smile sweetly, also reminding him of the wonderfully smiling bride, wedding band poised before grinning petals. She continued her one-sided conversation. "I guess I can tolerate you." she said finally, wrapping her hair into a bun and cleaning up her various messes resulted from her spastic ways. He continued smiling until the impact of the situation made itself known.

"Wait...I have to take his virginity and you're okay with this?" he backtracked, choking on saliva in surprise. She glanced at him with distant jade orbs. "It's what needs to be done. And he chose you." she sighed, badly wanting to shut the world out. "He...chose me." she sighed again, more aggravated this time, massaging her temples. "You're a smart cookie aren't you? As you know, Kimihiro is a very selective person. He doesn't get married to a stranger if he didn't trust them, or be himself for that matter. He's always trying to please people." she leaned on the counter for support, feeling heartburn at the rush of emotions assaulting her from all angles. Her son-in-law held her as she struggled to breath. "Just be safe with him." she glanced at him worriedly through teary green eyes and suddenly the situation was pretty fun. Think about it this way-this just over a ring.


	12. Chapter 8

**If the ring fits  
**

Sakura gave him a look. "Shouldn't be hard right? I can tell anybody- boy or girl wants to bone my son. I mean, look at him!" he looked at her, simply petrified at her words. "Don't the words 'Shinto Priest' mean anything to you?" he retorted, his mind running millions of miles per minute. She was asking him to **bone **her son, his best friend, who he wasn't even sure was gay**-**for a _ring_**. **She huffed out and put her hands on her hips. "Don't look at me like that! Don't you want him to be happy?" she accused, getting right up in his breathing space and glared with fervor, the jade burning holes into him. He had to admit, she was persistent**.** "Yeah but-" the words had come out before he could stop them. "Then what's the problem?" she got closer, and he hoped she wasn't a cougar. " I'm a VIRGIN, that's what, and I want to KEEP it that way!" He used his booming basketball voice, the one where you yell your head off to pass the freaking ball in class. She backed away, probably from damaged hearing and looked like she had the combination of wanting to laugh or cry. She even shared that thought with him and there couldn't have been a better moment then right then, where he wanted to crawl under a rock. Sure wearing women's clothing was embarrassing, but nothing compared to this. "You wore women's clothing?" the Doumeki thought he had relieved himself of the habit of speaking his thoughts. "So, you're okay with being on the bottom then right?" Dear god. "Wait! Before you go, I have something for you!" she pulled out a tan package to him. It was oddly light as he shuffled it in his hands."And this." he received a ring box and opened it. It had been the one he had first laid eyes on when he had entered the shop with Watanuki. She winked. "Whats an engagement ring compared to the real thing?" she grinned at him, and he stared entranced at the rings.

Doumeki looked at the set of twin bands the color of his own brass eyes with blue diamonds placed meticulously in a circle around the outside of the ring. When he had looked up, he had never been so sure as he had at that moment. "Thank you."

And what was left of his remaining college fund disappeared that night.

Watanuki shrank into himself as the onlookers looked at him hungrily. Though the fine print of his left contract said that spirits were the only ones who had a 'lust' for Watanuki, didn't mean it didn't apply to any gay rapists in your local ghetto area. ESPECIALLY those ones. So he speed walked away into Hinata Jewelers. Hinata tied her greying hair into a bun and smiled weakly. "I'm sorry you had to see me look so unprofessional." _and not like your mother. _"I don't get customers anymore." _I'm sorry son. _He beamed at her, and she felt that the grin from her memory wasn't the same from back then. "Well I have some work for you then." he handed her the blue velvet box and she wasn't surprised when it was empty. He however, probably wasn't even aware that it had been long gone. His face fell, crestfallen. "W-Where is it?" he rummaged through his pockets, frantically searching and she felt herself laugh, even though he was distressed. She pulled the shattered ring to him from behind her. "This one?" he stopped searching and looked at her with wide cerulean eyes. Which were too hopeful. "So can you fix them?" she smiled mischievously at him in the way only old women could. "It will probably take a long time, but it can be repaired." before she could finish the sentence, he had gotten down on his knees and bowed down to her, when he looked up, there were happy tears in his eyes. "Thank you." he said, choked up. Her heart clenched and she folded at the knee and hugged him, tugging her hair through unruly jet black locks. "Shhh, it's alright." and she herself felt like crying with him, his sobs shaking her with him. She held her breath. "I-I have something for you though." she gathered her breath and pulled a sealed letter from her back pocket. "Read this in a few days. But NOT today. Its an order...from the witch." If actually wasn't, but if he read it now, nothing would go according to plan if he did. He looked at her shocked and then nodded. "Okay, I will." he stood up, and wiped his eyes on his forearm. He smiled at her kindly. "Thank you." slowly, the teen let go of her hands and left the store. She stayed on her knees, falling back dazed. _Kimihiro, you sure are something. _

The monk dumped the contents on his bed and choked. Condoms. Condoms. And a shirt.

As he picked up the Trojans, he wondered why he was doing this.

Oh right, he wanted to see Watanuki smile. Well if he wanted to do that, he could have just taken the guy to an orphanage and given orphans some toys. Not marry him. He facepalmed at this and changed his clothes, and as he dressed, his palms sweat and heart raced. This was a big decision after all. His grandmother walked in and looked from his bare chest to the condoms and walked back out. He facepalmed again and shrugged on the shirt. He grabbed his things and took the backdoor, because what else was he going to do?


	13. Chapter 9

If the ring fits

The first thing he's aware of when be wakes up is that he hears sniffling.  
Watanukis sniffling.

The moonlight falls from the window, resting on Watanukis bare back, the light casted is dim and makes the seer almost look blue in the dark, shoulders wracking with surpressed grief, trying to stay quiet.

As silently as he can manage, he reaches across the futon and rubs his newly made 'wife's' back in what he hopes are soothing circles. He resists the urge to make a sarcastic comment, his voice, deep and rusty from disuse a silent shock in the room.

"I'm sorry."

The seer turns to him, eyes wide and bloodshot, lips caught between his teeth, pale with shock. He recovers enough to narrow his eyes, sapphire eyes sparking to life.  
"For what? That I cant spend the rest of my life with someone else? That your grandma thinks she'll get some beautiful bride and has probably heard us FUCKING from the other side of the house? That I broke my moms wedding ring, or that she isnt even my own mom and I'm some fucking parasite taking Syaorans life?" his voice cracked at parasite, the rest of his confession came out jumbled and incoherent with hysteria, the jet haired youth tugging at his hair with enough force to tear it out of his scalp. He scoops the frantic seer into his arms, unable to bare any more fury. "Im sorry." and he knows it won't do any good. "You are beautiful."

Its way too cold outsie to be walking outside at two in the morning.

Would be anyone elses thoughts, Watanuki reflected, wincing as he felt Doumekis essence drip from an area he was better off not describing, the experience worsened by tiger balm, the lubricant having a burning effect on him. The sensations redoubled the awkward pain from before, the bruises on his hip bones, the ache and drip from you-know-where.

The letter had been something else, Two weeks prior, and he had taken it as a sick joke that the witch intended he act upon. The gaps in memory from his childhood were evidence enough that he didnt know what his own mothers handwriting looked like, but there was one thing Watanuki knew.  
Yuuko never lied to him.

A suspiciously odd foreigner, ( assuming from her skin color at the least) held an umbrella, looking extremly idiotic seeing as it was a dry summer night. As she moved closer to him, he started to notice little details that put her on the supernatural side.  
"Give this letter to the archer if you will." she smiled, cat fangs glistening along with his pupiless eyes in the mild darkness. Hes learned to not react to strongly to the spirits he sees.  
"I will." he bows for good measure, hoping to hide his hysterics. She laughs in amusement and strokes his hair thoughtfully, the hair on the back of his neck prickles with his growing anxiety that quickly adds to his sense of forboding, fearing her next words.

"Tell him a friend has come back."


	14. Chapter 10

A/N: i don't own XXXHoLiC...just this fic. I also saw the clip this happen but I don't watch the anime so I made it up as I went along. Comment if you know what really happened in this scene :S This will be short 3 shot. Hopefully.

**If the ring fits**

Doumeki Shizuka had read the letter several times. He then proceeded to burn it slowly off the stove top fire.

He had first found the envelope on his doorstep later that morning. His eyes hurt from his lack of blinking as he read, and sleep deprivation. He calmly sat himself down in a chair beside the stereo and started to throw his CD's against the wall, shattering upon impact. They held no sentimental value anyways. Everybody downloaded songs off the Internet.

When his grandmother had woken up from the sounds, she had been hysterically blubbering and asked him what was wrong. He refrained from telling her that her shrink had told him he was a sociopath and guided her back to her room, and laid her back to sleep. Speaking of sleep, it was much needed. Screw school. Today was officially a snow day.

* * *

The black plastic boxes banged against his hip, and he hobbled to school, ignoring the truthful jeers of _'Why are you limping? Did you take it up the ass from Doumeki?' _and other forms of insults. After he had dropped off the letter, he had continued the tradition of making the three of them their daily bento, and since the oaf wasn't making any outlandish suggestions, he stuck with his favorite. Karai sake rolls*. He didn't have much of an appetite over the past few days, and Karin* appreciated the extra food, teasing that he spoiled his friends too much. He smiled at that and then frowned, remembering that he was supposed to deny the statement vehemently.

Throughout the day, the feeling of anxiousness did not leave him, and he gnawed at the tip of his pencil nervously as he darted his eyes around in each class, noticing that the seat in front of him was empty. _Wher_e _is that idiot?_

It hadn't occurred to the spirit medium that the archer could have been sleeping.

Himawari sat by the cherry blossom tree, her usual smile plastered on her face. The scene would have usually send him into a fit of joy, but he felt a pang of emptiness.

That jerk! Wasting his precious allowance!

"I noticed Doumeki-kun wasn't at school today?" Watanuki decided he didn't the sound of her imploring impish tone. Or his involuntarily flinch at the question.

Which, in hindsight, didn't help one bit.

"Yeah." he muttered more to himself than to her. He distractedly started to re-arrange the bentos. "Ungrateful jerk causes problems to everyone..." the seer didn't notice Himawari's own flinch at the words, because her next ones startled him greatly.

"You sound like you're being the grateful one."

He choked on his saliva, blinking rapidly. Had he just heard correctly? "Pardon?"

"I _s_aid, you're being ungrateful." Her dark eyes were hard, and all traces of the happy-go-lucky Himawari were gone.

The seer had been so surprised he found his mouth forming words, not carrying his voice through.

"I know you tend to downplay it for Doumeki's sake, but you're being selfish. Not just in the sense that you don't want to acknowledge him physically, but by refusing to take care of yourself. For the ones that care about you. And out of all of us, Doumeki's the guy."

He hadn't eaten anything yet and already his stomach was churning.

"I'm going to go as far as to say you're the one causing all these problems."

He felt sick.

"Perhaps Doumeki would be better off without you." she lay her hand over his own, and he flinched at her touch. It was no secret between them what occurred when Himawari could do by merely tapping them on the shoulder. "But we both know he won't get anything done listening to Sara Bareilles and stopping his grandmother from dying."

_How does she know? _He felt himself pale at all the implications. _How does she know more about him than I do? _His stomach churned further against the thought.

"Maybe-Watanuki?" he dropped the bento and curled into himself, his stomach was blazing, and he went through all the reasons in his mind he could feel this much discomfort. Without a thought, he emptied the contents of his stomach, the gallon of whatever he had sucked off of Doumeki coming with it. Suddenly, a vision resurfaced in his right eye.

**_Doumeki was talking to a brunette with bright green eyes, visibly nervous in every sense of the word, hidden under a distinct cover of false determination. _**

**_ "I've already heard from Yuuko-san that the ritual was sped up by two weeks." she sat down on the glass counter and looked down at her hands in her lap. " You had a month to complete it. That's how long it took for me to conceive Kimihiro."_**

He could hear Himawari fervently spoke with whoever was on the other end of her cellphone. But he could distinguish 'Yuuko' and 'Doumeki' between the sounds of his own dry retching and her scatter-brained babble.

The thought was so absurd-so_ impossible._

_The wriggling in his stomach was not._

He did not black out in the most cliche way possible, as Hollywood put it. He clung to the frantic girl's arm, eyes filling with tears, letting the cold hard slap of reality strike him.

_A/N: I'M BACK. DID YA MISS ME?  
_


	15. Chapter 11

**If the ring fits**

A/N: Karin is Watanuki's adoptive mother, but is away so often that he lives by himself pretty much, and if I recall correctly, karai sake is salmon hand rolls xD and the parting comment that I haven't addressed will be revealed when the time is right! The next few chapters will get confusing if you don't follow along these notes!

The archer slammed the glass doors shut behind him, nearly running over a few stray nurses, who frantically chased after him as he ran past them. He lost them around a certain bend and avoided the man pushing his way through on his wheelchair.

He thundered up the stairs heavily, wooden sandals smacking the linoleum with horrid dissonance. He followed the witch's instructions with half a mind and reached the second floor in record time. A grey haired man was leaning against the wall with a crumpled brow, regarding his clipboard skeptically. Doumeki promptly decided to grab the doctor's coat lapels and lift him off the ground.

"Where is he?" He nearly snarled, ignoring the sputtering practitioner's panicked sounds.

"W-w-what are you-" The grey haired man's eyes were widened into saucers, and by the looks of it, couldn't string a coherent thought together. That wouldn't do. He set the doctor low enough for his toes to brush the ground and loosened his grip on his collar.

"Watanuki Kimihiro." He hissed darkly, watching the doctor visibly relax.

"284," he said dazedly as the Doumeki released him, swaying on his feet.

He left the doctor, amber eyes set straight ahead, smoldering darkly at the thought of the letter's parting comment, mocking him* as he neared the ultrasound ward.  
Wait. Ultrasound?

His mind went blank when he bypassed the occupied receptionist and walked into a room at random.

And there he was.

The computer screen was turned away from Watanuki, but by the way he was curled up tightly into a ball, it looked like he already knew the news. It was like the air conditioning was blasted up several notches, and the silence grew thicker than before. Watanuki's head, which had been tucked into his knees, peeked at the intruder and slowly rose his head. His eyes were red and wet, and his breaths were labored. He spoke, voice choked and thick with emotion. "I'm pregnant,"


End file.
